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For 2007:
LIGHT MUSIC CDs – DECEMBER
Light Music For All Seasons
1 April In Paris (Vernon Duke, arr. Michel Legrand)
MICHEL LEGRAND AND HIS ORCHESTRA
2 I’ll Remember April (Don Raye, Gene de Paul, Pat
Johnston)
GORDON JENKINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
3 Tulips In Springtime (Rebekah Harkness, Tom Glazer)
ALFONSO D’ARTEGA AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 Springtime (Walter Collins)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
5 Spring It Was (John Bradford, Tony Romano)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
6 Spring Flowers (Charles Williams)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
7 One Morning In May (Victor Schertzinger, arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
8 June Bride (Charles Kenbury, real name Dennis Berry)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
9 Heat Wave (Irving Berlin)
KINGSWAY PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by STANLEY BLACK
10 Summer Afternoon – Idyll (Eric Coates)
ERIC COATES and SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
11 Midsummer Gladness (Cecil Milner)
SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by LUDO PHILIPP
12 Summertime In Venice (from the film "Summer Madness")
(Icini)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
13 Indian Summer (Victor Herbert, arr. George Melachrino)
THE MELACHRINO STRINGS Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
14 Blue September (Peter de Rose, arr. Laurie Johnson)
THE AMBROSE ORCHESTRA Conducted by LAURIE JOHNSON
15 Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma)
RICHARD HAYMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 Autumn Serenade (Peter de Rose)
ROBERTO INGLEZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Lonely September (Charles Hathaway)
DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18 September Song (Kurt Weill, arr. Richard Jones)
THE PITTSBURGH STRINGS Conducted by RICHARD JONES
19 In A November Garden (Victor Young)
VICTOR YOUNG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
20 Snow Shadow (Len Stevens)
DANISH STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
21 Snowfall (Claude Thornhill)
LEROY HOLMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA
22 Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson)
ETHEL SMITH – Organ with orchestral accompaniment
23 Winter (Horace Shepherd)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by R. de PORTEN
24 A Christmas Fantasy
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
 Guild
GLCD 5138
The four seasons provide the inspiration for the talented
composers whose works are featured in this collection. We
open our selection with a sparkling arrangement of April
In Paris conducted by the French musician Michel Jean
Legrand (b. 1932 in Paris) taken from his album "I
Love Paris" which effectively launched his international
career. An accomplished pianist, Michel has scored over
200 films and television shows and recorded over 100 albums
ranging from jazz, popular and classical music. He has won
numerous awards, and is probably the best-known French musician
in the USA, having worked with most of the top singers from
Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan to Barbra Streisand and
Dame Kiri te Kanawa.
Gordon Jenkins (1910-1984) arranged for many of
the top bands in America during the two World Wars, and
he soon carved out an impressive career in radio and films.
He signed with US Decca in 1945, and eventually became their
managing director. Under his guidance the label had several
big hits, and his major work Manhattan Tower (first
recorded at the end of 1945) brought him considerable critical
acclaim – to be followed by similar musical narratives
California (1949) and Seven Dreams (1953).
Alfonso D’Artega (b. 1907) arrived in the USA from
his native Mexico in 1918. Often merely known by his surname
(spellings of his first name vary), he was a conductor,
arranger and composer of wide and varied musical experience,
and conducted orchestras for radio, television, transcriptions,
recordings, concert stage and motion pictures. In 1946 he
originated and conducted in Carnegie Hall the Pop Concerts,
with the members of the New York Philharmonic. He portrayed
the role of Tchaikovsky in the 1947 United Artists production
Carnegie Hall, and also conducted the sound track
for the film. He has appeared as guest conductor with the
Buffalo Symphony, Miami Symphony, Lewisohn Stadium Symphony,
and with the Symphony of the Air. In addition to conducting,
D'Artega also composed well over 50 popular compositions,
both alone and sometimes with others. Perhaps his best known
work was In The Blue Of Evening (on which he collaborated
with Thomas Montgomery Adair). It was a hit recording for
Frank Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1943.
Walter R. Collins is remembered for his days as the distinguished
Musical Director of the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea,
and also for conducting the London Promenade Orchestra for
the Paxton Recorded Music Library during the 1940s. Earlier,
in 1928, his own orchestra was sufficiently well respected
to undertake a tour in Germany, and during his long career
he was a prolific composer and arranger.
The contribution from Sidney Torch (1908-1990) Spring
Is Here is taken from a rare album called "Music
From Across The Sea" for the US label Coral. Those
familiar with Torch’s work will find little evidence
of his usual style in the orchestration; indeed it is possible
that Torch merely fronted the orchestra.
Charles Williams (real name Isaac Cozerbreit: 1893-1978)
began his career accompanying silent films, then played
violin under the batons of Beecham and Elgar. Right from
the start of the ‘talkies’, he provided scores
for numerous British films, and his "Dream Of Olwen"
is still remembered long after the film in which it appeared
– "While I Live". In 1960 his theme for the
film "The Apartment" topped the American charts,
although in reality the producers had resurrected one of
his earlier works "Jealous Lover".
Born in Toronto, Canada, Robert Farnon (1917-2005)
possessed the ability to create exceptional arrangements
– something recognised by André Previn who said
that he was the world’s greatest living writer for
strings. In his later career Farnon was in demand to arrange
and conduct for major international stars such as Frank
Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne and George
Shearing.
Dolf van der Linden (real name David Gysbert van der Linden,
1915-1999) was the leading figure on the light music scene
in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the1980s. As well
as broadcasting frequently with his Metropole Orchestra,
he made numerous recordings for the background music libraries
of major music publishers.
Stanley Black (1913-2002) had a busy career encompassing
numerous broadcasts, films and a recording contract with
Decca which resulted in many top selling albums prompting
international concert tours. Black received numerous awards,
including the OBE in 1985 for his services to music. He
was a Life Fellow of the Institute of Arts and Letters,
and Life President of the Celebrities Guild of Great Britain.
Eric Coates (1886-1957) was a successful composer of ballads
in the early years of the last century, before devoting
all his energies to light music. He was particularly adept
at writing catchy melodies that appealed as BBC signatures
tunes, but he also created many pleasing pastoral cameos
such as the Idyll Summer Afternoon.
Cecil Milner (1905-1989) was a respected backroom boy in
London music circles, arranging for many top orchestras
such as Mantovani, for whom he supplied around 220 scores
between 1952 and 1974. He was also an accomplished composer,
with his works willingly accepted by background music publishers
such as Charles Brull, who issued Midsummer Gladness
on one of their mood music 78 discs in 1954. In the cinema
he worked on the 1938 film "The Lady Vanishes".
Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) was a brilliant composer,
arranger and conductor, whose tuneful music reached the
furthest corners of the world. As he gained recognition
for his original compositions he became in demand for film
scores and among his best-remembered are "633 Squadron",
"Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines"
and Alfred Hitchcock’s "Frenzy".
Although the record label for Blue September names
the Ambrose Orchestra, in truth all the credit has to go
to the arranger and conductor Laurie Johnson (b.1927), who
has been a leading figure on the British entertainment scene
for 50 years. A gifted arranger and composer, Laurie has
contributed to films, musical theatre, radio, television
and records, with his music used in many well-known productions
such as "The Avengers" and "The Professionals".
As well as being a respected arranger and conductor, Richard
Hayman (b. 1920) was also a harmonica virtuoso, and he sometimes
adapted his scores of popular melodies so that he could
perform on his favourite instrument.
Roberto Inglez was actually a Scotsman called Robert Inglis
(1919-1974) who specialised in Latin American music. He
built up a loyal following through his work in leading London
West End clubs and his frequent BBC broadcasts.
David Carroll (b. 1913) was musical director of
Mercury Records from 1951 to the early 1960s, during which
time he accompanied many of the label’s contract singers
as well as making some instrumental recordings of his own.
Several of his LPs had a ‘dance’ theme, often
including his own compositions, and he employed the cream
of Chicago’s session musicians.
Victor Young (1900-1956) appears as both composer and conductor
in the delicate tone poem In A November Garden. In
the original LP sleeve notes Young says that he developed
this from a theme in a Paramount film starring Loretta Young
and Alan Ladd (he fails to name the movie but it may have
been "And Now Tomorrow" in 1944). Young excelled
as a violinist, arranger, film composer, songwriter, conductor
and record producer. This wide experience in all forms of
music, from his first hit song, Sweet Sue, Just You
in 1928 to his tremendous score for "Around the World
in 80 Days" in 1956, was exceptional even by Tin Pan
Alley and Hollywood standards, all the more so because his
international reputation was achieved in such a short lifetime.
Like so many of his contemporaries, he found work with various
dance bands of the 1920s and 1930s, before eventually ending
up in Hollywood, where he discovered the ideal outlet for
his melodic gifts.
He didn’t orchestrate everything he wrote for the
screen (surely he couldn’t have found the time), but
used experienced arranger/composers such as Leo Shuken and
Sidney Cutner to fill out his sketches. For a while his
fellow orchestra leader in the US Decca stable was Gordon
Jenkins, who is reported as having said that Victor was
a lovely man and a wonderful composer, "but he always
had a bad band - full of relatives and refugees from the
old country who needed work". Although born in Chicago,
Young had strong ties with his grandparents’ country
Poland, where he spent some of his formative years (his
widowed father abandoned him as a child) and studied at
the Warsaw Conservatory of Music together with his sister
Helen.
Leroy Holmes (1913-1986) was fairly active in the recording
studios in the USA during the 1950s, often specialising
in music from films. He seems to be best remembered for
his work as orchestra leader on the "Tonight Show"
1956-57.
Ethel Smith (born Goldsmith, 1910-1996) was a virtuoso
on the organ who became an international star following
her 1940s recording of Tico Tico. This resulted in
appearances in several Hollywood films, and she continued
to enjoy a successful career with recordings and public
appearances for the next thirty years. Her version of Sleigh
Ride is a refreshing change to the familiar orchestral
version of the Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) classic, which
is available on so many other CDs.
The composer of the sensitive piece Winter deserves
a special mention. Horace Shepherd (1892-1960 – also
known as Hugh Kairs) was musical director and composer of
the score for at least ten British films from the 1930s
to 1950s, perhaps the best-known being "Hatter’s
Castle" (1942) based on the A.J. Cronin novel. He also
seems to have been active in Europe – the 1930 French
film "Prix de Beauté" being just one example.
He contributed a few titles to production music libraries,
and is listed as the director of "Making The Grade"
(1947), a short film about actors becoming stars which featured
Jessie Matthews.
George Melachrino (1909-1965) was one of the top British
conductors of light music, with his records (especially
LPs) selling in large numbers around the world. Like many
of his contemporaries, he served his musical apprenticeship
in British Dance Bands (particularly Carroll Gibbons) before
World War 2 found him fronting the British Band of the Allied
Expeditionary Forces. One of his earliest orchestral HMV
78s takes us from summer to autumn with Victor Herbert’s
Indian Summer, then he provides the seasonal climax
with a medley of Christmas airs. The first part is subtitled
"Christmas Morn" and concentrates mainly on Jingle
Bells, although there are snatches of Christians
Awake, First Nowell, Home Sweet Home and Good King
Wenceslas. Then the mood changes to "Christmas
Night" with sounds of children’s jollity eventually
fading as midnight approaches, brilliantly conveyed through
Come Landlord Fill The Flowing Bowl, Girls And Boys Come
Out To Play, Ring A Ring o’Roses, Mistletoe Bough
and Silent Night. The arranger is uncredited and,
although William Hill-Bowen (1918-1964) was responsible
for many of Melachrino’s scores at this time, comparison
with George Melachrino’s similar treatments of traditional
airs (notably There Is A Tavern In The Town on Guild
GLCD 5118, and Little Brown Jug on GLCD 5129) lends
strong support to the assumption that the maestro himself
created this delightful "Christmas Fantasy". David
Ades
Musical Kaleidoscope – Volume 1
1 Kaleidoscope (Artur Clemens Schreckenberger)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERICH BÖRSCHEL
2 Double Cross (theme from BBC TV series) (Ernest Maxin,
arr. Frank Cordell)
FRANK CORDELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
3 Ballet Of Madeira (Gregori, Freitas)
JOHNNY DOUGLAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 Dance Of The Spanish Onion (David Rose)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 Cockney Girl (George Melachrino)
GEORGE MELACHRINO AND HIS ORCHESTRA
6 Fiesta (Paul Stewart, real name Jack Coles)
THE EMBASSY ORCHESTRA Directed by JACK COLES
7 In Happy Mood (Percival Mackey)
WEST END CELEBRITY ORCHESTRA
8 Policeman’s Holiday (Montague Ewing)
NEW LIGHT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
9 Pavanne (Morton Gould)
JAY WILBUR’S SERENADERS
10 Plaisir D’Amour (Jean Paul Egide Martini -real
name Johann Schwartzendorf- arr. Fred Hartley)
FRED HARTLEY AND HIS MUSIC
11 Roses At Dawning (Le Boy Kahn, Gus Kahn, Neil Moret)
REGINALD KING’S ORCHESTRA
12 Legend (Henry Croudson)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
13 Keep Moving (Frederick George Charrosin)
LOUIS VOSS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
14 Sailors’ Holiday (Edgar Martell)
WEST END CELEBRITY ORCHESTRA
15 Blue Devils (Charles Williams, arr. Adolf Lotter)
LONDON PALLADIUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by RICHARD CREAN
Seven Famous BBC Orchestras
16 Oranges And Lemons (Traditional arr. Jack Byfield)
LONDON STUDIO PLAYERS Conducted by MICHAEL KREIN
17 Music for "Rivers Of The North Of England"
– Serene & Flowing (Lambert Williamson)
BBC NORTHERN ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES GROVES
18 Dance Of A Whimsical Elf (Haydn Wood)
BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by HAROLD LOWE
19 Manx Dirk Dance (Reeaghyn-dy-vannin) (from "Two
Celtic Dances For Orchestra") (Arnold Foster)
BBC SCOTTISH ORCHESTRA Conducted by GUY WARRACK
Open Windows – Suite (Geoffrey Henman, orchestrated
by Oliphant Chuckerbutty)
20 Country Air
21 Butterflies
22 Song Of The Sinhalese
23 Dancing Sunlight
BBC REVUE ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES GROVES
24 Music Of The People – England (Traditional arr.
Gilbert Vinter)
BBC MIDLAND LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by GILBERT VINTER
25 Here’s To The Good Old Whisky (Traditional, arr.
Clive Richardson)
BBC VARIETY ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES SHADWELL
26 Oranges And Lemons (Traditional arr. Spike Hughes)
BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by HAROLD LOWE
27 Legion Patrol (Jack Simpson)
BILLY COTTON AND HIS BAND
 Guild
GLCD 5139
Putting together collections for Guild Music’s "Golden
Age of Light Music" series is usually most pleasurable,
but at times it can also be frustrating. The reason is that
there are certain pieces of music which, for various reasons,
just don’t seem to fit in with the theme of a particular
compilation being prepared. Yet they may be high on the
list of titles which have an important place in the body
of work by a particular composer, and often they have been
specially requested by music lovers who have been seeking
them for decades: one collector recently thanked Guild for
a piece of music last heard over fifty years ago! So this
selection is notable for not having a specific theme –
except that it is a deliberate attempt to offer a wide variety
of styles and ensembles to stimulate the senses and hopefully
spring a few surprises along the way. A good number of the
tracks are requests, and maybe this CD could be called "Son
of Buried Treasures" because it does bear some resemblance
to a previous mélange on GLCD 5118 which was so favourably
received.
As work on this collection progressed it soon became obvious
that a further volume would be needed, if we were to be
able to include all the special requests we have received.
A second helping is available on Guild GLCD 5140 and, like
this one, it commences with a piece called Kaleidoscope.
This time the composer is Artur Clemens Schreckenberger
(d. 1989) who was also active as an arranger and publisher
in Germany. Our researches have revealed little about his
career, but thankfully the same cannot be said of Frank
Cordell (1918-1980). He was a fine British composer, arranger
and conductor whose work first became noticed through the
tuneful backings he often supplied to some contract singers
on HMV singles in the 1950s. Occasionally he was allowed
his own 78s, and he was also responsible for several fine
LPs which quickly became collectors’ items. The cinema
beckoned with some prestigious projects including "The
Captain’s Table" (1959), "Flight From Ashiya"
(1964), "Khartoum" (1966), "Mosquito Squadron"
(1969), "Ring Of Bright Water" (1969), "Hell
Boats" (1970), "Cromwell" (1970) for he was
nominated for an Oscar, "Trial By Combat" (1976)
and "God Told Me To" (1976). From time to time
he contributed to publishers’ production music libraries,
and also composed (and conducted) under the name Francis
Meillear (or Meilleur). Frank’s track on this CD is
the theme for a BBC Television series of the 1950s, composed
by Ernest Maxin (b. 1923) who was also the producer of "Double
Cross" – a comedy thriller starring Jimmy
Jewel, Ben Warriss and Jill Day. During his long career
in television he was variously performer, writer and producer
(notably "Morecambe and Wise"), and he also conducted
a few orchestral recordings under his own name.
Johnny Douglas (1920-2003) was a talented pianist, composer
and arranger who recorded over 500 titles for Decca, and
received many commissions for radio and television work.
In 1958 he was asked to score and conduct "Living Strings
Play Music of the Sea" for RCA, which was recorded
at the Kingsway Hall, London, with an orchestra of 61 musicians.
This began his long association with RCA, New York, and
during the next twenty-five years he made 80 albums for
RCA alone and received a Gold disc for the RCA album entitled
"Feelings". Johnny has to his credit over 100
albums and 36 feature films, the most well-known of the
latter being "The Railway Children" for which
he received a British Academy Film & TV Arts Nomination.
Mantovani (1905-1980) was, for a time, the most successful
British recording orchestra leader, whose LPs sold in their
millions world-wide. But before Ronald Binge (1910-1979)
created the ‘cascading strings’ effect that would
make Italian-born Annunzio Mantovani so popular, he was
already making light music recordings of a high standard,
and Dance Of The Spanish Onion by the legendary David
Rose (1910-1990) is a perfect example. Rather than follow
the original score, Mantovani cleverly adapted it to provide
a special appeal which still sounds fresh today.
George Miltiades Melachrino (1909-1965) sold millions of
LPs around the world, especially in north America, yet his
early career found him playing and singing in British dance
bands of the 1930s. He was also an accomplished composer,
and his contribution to this collection is certainly a rarity.
Cockney Girl was actually three short pieces written
for the short-lived EMI Mood Music Library in the late 1940s,
which the publishers hoped would be used as the theme for
a radio series. At that time a number of composers were
writing works with the same object in mind, offering an
opening, middle theme and final closing music to suit various
moods. Cockney Girl is presented here without the
gaps, illustrating the kind of carefree, bright light music
that was so plentiful in the years following the Second
World War.
Jack Coles (1914-1991) was a student at Kneller Hall School
of Music where he won a Gold Cup for being the best all-round
pupil of his year. He played trumpet in dance bands and
orchestras until 1946 when he formed his own Music Masters
dance band for broadcasting. Later he ventured more into
the realms of Light Music with his Orchestre Moderne, appearing
on popular shows such as Music While You Work, Melody Hour
and Morning Music. Eventually in 1960 he became conductor
of the BBC Midland Light Orchestra, and he was also busy
in the fields of composing and arranging for films, theatre,
television and radio. For some reason he was not often asked
to make commercial recordings, and the Embassy 78 in this
collection appears to be the only example of a light orchestral
single on this budget label which was exclusive to Woolworths
in the UK and concentrated mainly on ‘cover’ versions
of Top 20 hits. Jack (his real names were John Robert Coles)
also wrote mood music, and in addition to works under his
own name he also composed as ‘Paul Stewart’ and
‘Paul Vincent’. His biggest success as a writer
was Tyrolean Tango, which was re-named The Echo
Tango when recorded in the USA by Duke Ellington.
Montague Ewing (1890-1957) also composed under the name
‘Sherman Myers’, and he had a most successful
career mainly as a composer and arranger of light music
and popular songs. Probably most successful of all was his
Policeman’s Holiday which enjoyed additional
appeal when lyrics were added.
The famous Pavanne by Morton Gould (1913-1996) is
given a refreshingly different treatment by the British
bandleader Jay Wilbur (1898-1970). He had a long career
which encompassed numerous recordings in the 1930s for labels
such as Dominion, Imperial and Rex, and a spell making mood
music recordings for London publishers Boosey & Hawkes.
Like several other musicians, when he found that his style
fell out of favour in Britain after the war, he emigrated
to continue his career in South Africa where he died in
Cape Town.
Fred Hartley (1905-1980) was a prolific composer and arranger
who became known to millions in Britain through his regular
broadcasts. He joined the BBC as an accompanist, having
made his first broadcast as a solo pianist as early as 1925.
He founded his Novelty Quintet in 1931, and by 1946 he had
become the BBC’s Head of Light Music.
Special attention should be drawn to Blue Devils
by the famous light music composer Charles Williams (1893-1978).
This march was his first big success as a composer, and
it was originally published as The Kensington March.
Respected researchers believe that it was written for the
opening of the Kensington Kinema early in 1926, where Charles
Williams conducted the orchestra. It is suggested that the
piece was renamed when Williams left the Kensington cinema
at the end of 1928; the official publication date for Blue
Devils is shown as 1929 on the sheet music. Its enduring
popularity prompted the London Palladium Orchestra to record
it for HMV in 1933.
In the 1940s and 1950s the BBC in Britain was almost certainly
the largest single employer of musicians in the world –
this is also true today although the numbers are considerably
smaller.
Back then, in addition to the seven orchestras featured
on this CD, there were also The BBC Symphony Orchestra (extant);
The BBC Scottish Variety Orchestra (which became the BBC
Scottish Radio Orchestra); The BBC Northern Ireland Light
Orchestra (which was subsumed into the Ulster Orchestra);
The BBC Northern Variety Orchestra (which became The BBC
Northern Dance Orchestra); The BBC West Of England Light
Orchestra (later The West Of England Players); The BBC Welsh
Orchestra (now the BBC National Orchestra of Wales); and
The BBC Dance Orchestra. To complement these orchestras
there was also the prestigious BBC Military Band (featured
on Guild GLCD 5117)
As well as the above ‘house’ orchestras, the
BBC schedules of those days regularly featured literally
dozens of other musical ensembles, ranging from orchestras
and brass bands to small groups and theatre organs. To avoid
(or cause!) confusion, it should be noted that the BBC Theatre
Orchestra later became the BBC Opera Orchestra which, in
1952, formed the basis of the BBC Concert Orchestra, which
still exists, as does The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
The Midland Light Orchestra became the Midland Radio Orchestra;
the Variety and Revue Orchestras were combined, in 1964,
into The BBC Radio Orchestra; and the BBC Northern Orchestra
is now known as The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Other than
the Concert Orchestra, all of the remaining BBC light orchestras
were disbanded in the 1970s and 80s with the Radio Orchestra
surviving until the early 1990s.
The traditional English air Oranges and Lemons used
to open broadcasting on the BBC Light Programme, and two
different arrangements were employed. Both became very familiar
to millions of listeners, and since neither of the original
versions has been previously available on a commercial recording
we have decided to include them both in this mini-tribute
to the golden age of BBC orchestras. They should not be
confused with the re-recordings made by Vilem Tausky (1910-2004)
and the BBC Concert Orchestra and used from 1962. The other
well-known theme in this section is Music for "Rivers
Of The North Of England" – originally incidental
music for a radio feature, but subsequently chosen to introduce
a monthly series of programmes about the countryside which
ran for many years on the BBC Home Service.
Keeping with our BBC theme, for many years in Britain Sunday
lunch was accompanied by popular music on the BBC Light
Programme, and one of the longest running radio series was
"The Billy Cotton Band Show", first broadcast
in 1949. Bill’s signature tune was Somebody Stole
My Gal, but if there was still time to fill at the end
of the show the band played Legion Patrol by Jack
Simpson, a well-known percussionist who fronted his own
group on records in the 1940s. Usually only the first few
bars of this number were heard, and many people failed to
realise that Billy Cotton (1899-1969) had actually made
a record of it. But he certainly did, and in response to
several requests it appears as the closing music in this
Kaleidoscope - happily on this occasion it is not faded
out! David Ades
LIGHT MUSIC CDs – SEPTEMBER
The Guild "Golden Age of Light Music" continues
to restore many neglected works to the catalogue, and the
latest two are listed below.
Marching and Waltzing
1 King Cotton (John Philip Sousa)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
2 Melba Waltz (from the film "Melba") (Mischa
Spoliansky, arr. Ron Goodwin)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
3 Blaze Away (Abraham Holzmann, arr. Sidney Torch)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 Absinthe Frappé (Victor Herbert)
AL GOODMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 Royal Standard (Archibald Joyce)
WEST END CELEBRITY ORCHESTRA Conducted by LOUIS VOSS
6 One Love (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
7 The Spirit Of Youth – March (Gilbert)
LONDON PALLADIUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by JACK FRERE
8 Mayfair Cinderella (Albert William Ketèlbey)
LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA
9 Oxford Street (from "London Again" Suite) (Eric
Coates)
TIVOLI CONCERT HALL ORCHESTRA Conducted by SVEND CHRISTIAN
FELUMB
10 The Young Ballerina (BBC TV’s music for the famous
Potters Wheel interlude) (Charles Williams)
DANISH STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
11 Proud And Free (Ronald Hanmer)
SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by THEO ARDEN
12 Shadow Waltz (from film "Gold Diggers of 1933")
(Harry Warren)
MORTON GOULD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13 Strings On Parade (Ray Martin)
CYRIL STAPLETON AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
14 Someday I’ll Find You (from "Private Lives")
(Noel Coward)
FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
15 Empire Builders March (from film "Rhodes Of Africa")
(Hubert Bath)
LOUIS LEVY and his GAUMONT BRITISH SYMPHONY
16 Love’s Roundabout (from film "La Ronde")
(Oscar Straus)
LOU PREAGER AND HIS CHARM OF THE WALTZ ORCHESTRA
17 Out Of Town March (Robert Farnon)
DANISH STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
18 Just The One I Adore (Gypsy Seydell Beal, Eddie Medel)
DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
19 Tom Marches On (Clive Richardson)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
20 Mademoiselle de Paris (Paul Jules Durand, arr. Percy
Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
21 On The Quarter Deck (Kenneth J. Alford, real name
Frederick Joseph Ricketts)
OLD TYME ORCHESTRA Conducted by JACK LEON
22 Ziehrer Waltz Medley (Carl Michael Ziehrer)
MAREK WEBER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
23 Battle March (C.C. Moller)
AAHRUS CIVIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by THOMAS JENSEN
24 Family Album – Waltz (from "Tonight at 8.30")
(Noel Coward)
PHOENIX THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by CLIFFORD GREENWOOD
25 The Middy (Kenneth J. Alford, real name Frederick
Joseph Ricketts)
REGENT CONCERT ORCHESTRA
26 Melody Of Love (Hans Engelmann)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
27 Great Quest (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard
Trebilco)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN
 GUILD
GLCD5136
"Marching and Waltzing" was the title of a popular
BBC radio programme around forty years ago. The format was
simple: an enjoyable selection of alternating marches and
waltzes, with occasional less familiar compositions interspersed
with tried and tested favourites.
The notion that marches and waltzes always adhered to strict
guidelines, which could result in a boring sequence of similar-sounding
pieces, was certainly proved untrue. Both of these musical
forms have been developed by talented composers and arrangers
into many varied styles. As Eric Coates famously once commented:
"my marches aren’t intended for marching and my
waltzes aren’t intended for waltzing", and the
same can be said of the works of many composers.
However those listeners who would appreciate some examples
of what might be termed ‘true’ marches and waltzes
will not be disappointed with this collection. Equally others
who get satisfaction from hearing how arrangers have adapted
the underlying rhythms inherent in the basic structure of
these works should also find much to please them.
The CD commences with a great number from the man widely
regarded as the American ‘March King’ – John
Philip Sousa (1854-1932). His King Cotton (composed
in 1895) was used as a signature tune for this programme
by the BBC, although Vienna Blood was also chosen
on occasions. Sousa is probably the most famous composer
of military marches, and he was also a busy conductor. In
addition to marches he was active in other musical fields:
incredibly he wrote ten operas and a number of musical suites.
He also composed scores for Broadway musicals, although
it took several attempts before he had a measure of success
in this genre with El Capitan in 1896. He formed
his own band in 1892 and undertook many tours, both in the
USA and in Europe. He also found time to write three novels
and an autobiography, but he did not take kindly to new
inventions. For many years he resisted conducting on radio,
and in a submission to a congressional hearing in 1906 he
predicted that the fledgling recording industry would result
in people losing the use of their vocal cords because they
would listen to others singing songs, rather than perform
them for themselves. Despite his feelings towards the new
technologies, they must have earned him a considerable amount
in royalties, particularly from around 100 marches of which
the most famous were Semper Fidelis, Liberty Bell, Washington
Post and The Stars and Stripes Forever –
the last named piece being the final work he conducted at
the age of 77 in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he died following
a rehearsal.
Another American composer who was a contemporary of Sousa
was Abraham Holzmann (1874-1939) whose greatest march success
was Blaze Away, composed in 1901. But he earned his
living mainly from Tin Pan Alley where he wrote and arranged
popular songs for publishers such as Leo Feist. [Leo Feist
(1869-1930) began his career as a corset salesman and composed
songs for his own enjoyment. When he failed to find a publisher
for his work, he set up his own firm to deal in popular
songs. "You can’t go wrong with a Feist song"
was the slogan printed on every copy of the firm’s
sheet music, which eventually numbered in thousands.] Today
Abe Holzmann is fondly remembered by lovers of ragtime,
but he also penned many marches, waltzes and other pieces
of light music.
Dublin-born Victor August Herbert (1859-1924) was an accomplished
cellist, composer, conductor and orchestrator who made a
profound impression upon the American popular music scene.
Due to his father’s death when he was under four, the
Herbert family lived for a while with his paternal grandfather
who was a keen artist; musicians and writers were frequent
visitors, and young Victor was exposed to music from early
childhood. His mother remarried and by 1866 the family had
relocated to Stuttgart in Germany, but Victor’s plans
for a medical profession were dashed due to lack of funds.
He earned money playing the cello in leading German orchestras,
and during a period with the Royal Court Orchestra in Stuttgart
he studied under Max Seifriz, one of the finest teachers
of composition at that time. In October 1886 he arrived
in the USA and was employed in the pit orchestra at New
York’s Metropolitan Opera Company. Within a short while
his career blossomed, and he was fortunate that his own
works (notably his Suite for Cello and Orchestra Op.
3) were well received by critics and the public. Soon
he was also conducting, and among his numerous writing achievements
are two operas, forty-three operettas, incidental music
for stage productions (including several Ziegfeld Follies),
plus songs and compositions for band, cello, violin, flute
and clarinet. He orchestrated the works of many of his contemporaries,
but his musical legacy is founded upon his charming operettas
such as Babes in Toyland and Naughty Marietta.
Absinthe Frappé comes from his operetta It
Happened in Nordland (1904). With John Philip
Sousa, Irving Berlin and others, Victor Herbert was one
of the founders in 1914 of the American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959) was a highly
successful composer, who earned the equivalent of millions
of pounds during the peak of his popularity. Pieces such
as In a Monastery Garden, The Phantom Melody, In a Persian
Market and Bells Across the Meadows brought him
international fame, no doubt assisted by his enthusiastic
participation in the rapidly growing business of producing
gramophone records. As well as also being an arranger and
conductor, he was an accomplished pianist and organist,
and was proficient on oboe, cello, clarinet and horn. Once
he had achieved his fame, and a style that became closely
associated with him, he seemed unwilling to adapt to the
new rhythms and influences that were gaining popularity
– particularly during the 1930s. His own music gradually
went out of vogue, and the previous age of romance, that
had its roots in the self-confidence of the Edwardian age,
seemed to be in terminal decline. But Ketèlbey was
far from forgotten, and the LP era of the 1950s resulted
in a renewed interest in his beautifully crafted melodies.
He was able to spend his later years in comfortable retirement
on the peaceful Isle of Wight.
Mischa Spoliansky (1898-1985) was a Russian-born composer
who fled his homeland following the revolution and became
a leading figure in Berlin’s thriving cabaret scene
during the 1920s and early 1930s. When he arrived in Berlin
he was offered the position of conductor at Max Reinhardt's
Keller-Kabarett of the Grosses Schauspielhaus, where he
embraced the core of Berlin’s cultural life and got
to know the most important artists of that time. When the
German film industry moved into ‘talkies’ his
songs enhanced several popular films, but after the Nazi
regime was elected to power in 1933 he was forced to flee
for the second time in his life and he left Germany and
chose to settle in England. His reputation had preceded
him, and he had no problem in finding work in the thriving
British film industry, where Alexander Korda offered him
several prestigious productions such as Sanders of the
River (1935) and The Ghost Goes West (1935).
Numerous film commissions followed like King Solomon’s
Mines (1937), The Man Who Could Work Miracles
(1936), Wanted for Murder (1946), Idol of Paris
(1948), Stage Fright (1950), The Happiest Days
of Your Life (1950), Happy Go Lovely (1951),
Melba (1953), Turn the Key Softly (1953),
Trouble in Store (1953), Saint Joan (1957)
and North West Frontier (1959). His eldest daughter
was the actress Spoli Mills (Irmgard Spoliansky, 1923-2004).
One of her favourite anecdotes concerned the day she was
returning home and found her eccentric father standing,
rather sheepishly, in the subway at London’s Hyde Park
Corner. On the ground beside him was a flat cap containing
a few coins. When she asked what he thought he was doing,
he explained that the harmonica player who usually stood
there had gone for a drink and he was keeping an eye on
the pitch. "But why you?" his daughter pressed. "He's a
fellow musician," her father replied.
Archibald Joyce (1873-1963) learned the piano and violin
as a child, and much of his life as a professional musician
involved playing in ballrooms, theatres and the concert
hall, especially before and after the First World War. Indeed
his own orchestra was held in such high esteem that it played
for Royalty and at major state occasions, and through his
many compositions Joyce became known as ‘The English
Waltz King’. He was also adept at writing marches,
no doubt partly due to the influence of his father, who
was a band sergeant with the Grenadier Guards. Unlike his
contemporaries Eric Coates and Haydn Wood, Archibald Joyce
did not allow his composing style to move with the times,
preferring instead to believe that his music was intended
for dancing, rather than listening (unlike Eric Coates!).
Ronald Hanmer (1917-1994) was a prolific composer and arranger
whose proud boast was that he had worked in the music business
since the day he left school. Like his contemporary Sidney
Torch, he served his ‘apprenticeship’ as a cinema
organist, and soon developed his talent for composing and
arranging. Many of his comic creations enlivened the BBC’s
wartime ITMA broadcasts (his arrangement of Ten
Green Bottles is on Guild GLCD 5102), and eventually
over 700 of his compositions were published in various background
music libraries. His film scores include Made in Heaven
(1952), Penny Princess (1952) and Top of the
Form (1953). He was also in demand as an orchestrator
of well-known works for Amateur Societies, and the brass
band world was very familiar with his scores – sometimes
used as test pieces. In 1975 he emigrated to Australia,
where he was delighted to discover that his melody Pastorale
was famous throughout the land as the theme for the long-running
radio serial Blue Hills. In Britain his best-known
theme was the signature tune for BBC radio’s The
Adventures of P.C. 49; the music came from a Francis,
Day & Hunter Mood Music 78 simply called Changing
Moods.
Students of the Viennese school of music regard Carl Michael
Ziehrer (1843-1922) as one of the main rivals to the dominance
of the Strauss family. His career was similar, with no less
than twenty-three operettas to his name. In total he composed
around 600 works, of which many were waltzes and marches.
His waltzes in the selection on this CD are Vienna Citizens,
Vienna Beauty and In a Beautiful Night. Ziehrer
made his debut as a conductor in 1863 leading a dance orchestra,
and later served several terms as bandmaster with the famous
Hoch und Deutschmeister Regiment, which gained him wide
public recognition and invitations to perform overseas.
In 1909 he was honoured by the Emperor Franz Joseph with
the appointment as Imperial Ball Director, the last person
to hold the title.
Light Music While You Work – Volume 2
1 Calling All Workers – excerpt (Eric Coates)
ERIC COATES and SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
2 Marche Lorraine (Louis Ganne)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
3 "The Dancing Years" – Selection from show
(1939) (Ivor Novello)
HARRY FRYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 The Floral Dance (Katy Moss)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 Sleeping Beauty Waltz (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
RICHARD CREAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
6 Pierrot Comes To Town (Sherman Myers, real name
Montague Ewing)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
7 Lehar In The Ballroom (Franz Lehar)
WYNFORD REYNOLDS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
8 Toy Trumpet (Raymond Scott)
REGINALD PURSGLOVE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
9 Girl Crazy – Selection (George Gershwin)
STUDIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHIL GREEN
10 Die Fledermaus – Waltz (Johann Strauss, arr. Ronnie
Munro)
RONNIE MUNRO AND HIS SCOTTISH VARIETY ORCHESTRA
11 Theatreland (Jack Strachey)
HARRY FRYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
12 Sizilietta (Franz Von Blon)
DAVID JAVA AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13 Castles In Spain (Charles W. Ancliffe)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
14 One Exciting Night – Selection from film (1944)
(Georges Boulanger and others)
PHIL GREEN AND HIS THEATRELAND ORCHESTRA
15 Fashionette (Jack Glogan, Robert A. King)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 Moment Musical (Franz Peter Schubert)
RICHARD CREAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Scarlet And Gold (Lloyd Thomas)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
18 Softly Unawares (Paul Lincke)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
19 Journey To A Star; No Love No Nothing (both by Harry
Warren, Leo Robin)
STUDIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHIL GREEN
20 Emperor Waltz (Johann Strauss, arr. Ronnie Munro)
RONNIE MUNRO AND HIS WALTZ ORCHESTRA
21 Butterflies In The Rain (Sherman Myers, real name
Montague Ewing)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
22 Bal Masque (from Two Parisian Sketches) (Percy Fletcher)
RICHARD CREAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
23 With Sword And Lance (Lance Starke)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
24 Turkey In The Straw (Trad. arr. Harry Davidson)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
25 Lady In The Dark – Selection from show (1941) also
film (1944) (Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin))
PHIL GREEN AND HIS THEATRELAND ORCHESTRA
26 Calling All Workers – excerpt (Eric Coates)
ERIC COATES AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
 GUILD
GLCD5137
The enthusiastic response to Guild’s first dip into
the catalogue of music recorded in the 1940s for Decca’s
Music While You Work label (on Guild GLCD 5128) has meant
that a second volume simply had to follow. This time there
are some new names, but the general concept follows the
pattern that was fully explained in the booklet notes for
the earlier collection.
In summary, the title ‘Music While You Work’
was the name of a BBC radio programme that was first broadcast
at 10.30am on Sunday 23 June 1940. It soon became something
of an institution in British broadcasting, where it was
to remain in the schedules for an unbroken run of 27 years.
It was resurrected for short runs in the 1980s and 1990s
before the very last broadcast was heard in 1995.
The man credited with the original idea – and its
successful implementation – was Wynford Reynolds (1899-1958).
‘Live’ musicians were usually engaged for the
programme, ranging from solo performers such as organists,
to small groups, dance bands, light orchestras and military
bands. The shows were aimed at factory workers during the
Second World War, and it was hoped that the choice of music
would relieve the boredom of many repetitive tasks and thus
assist productivity.
However the factories soon realised that they needed to
provide such music throughout the day, and gramophone records
were the obvious answer to fill those periods when suitable
music was not being broadcast by the BBC.
Someone at Decca proposed that a special series of 78s
would suit this purpose admirably and their own "Music
While You Work" label was born; sensibly they sought
Wynford Reynolds’ advice from the outset, and he even
made some of the 78s with his own orchestra. These were
not intended to be an accurate carbon copy of the BBC broadcasts,
and the orchestras on the Decca records (mostly their contract
artists) did not necessarily also perform on the radio.
But they did succeed in conveying the ‘feel’ of
the programme and have provided a fascinating subject for
collectors to study over the years.
The signature tune chosen by the BBC was Calling All
Workers composed by Eric Coates (1886-1957). By this
time he was recognised as possibly England’s greatest
living composer of light music, and he acquired the knack
of writing catchy, memorable tunes that were ideal as introductions
to regular programmes on radio and later television. His
Knightsbridge March introduced "In Town Tonight"
from 1933 to 1960, and towards the end of his life Coates
composed the famous march for the film "The Dam Busters"
(1954). Calling All Workers was written in 1940 at
the request of his wife, Phyllis, who was working in the
Red Cross making wartime medical supplies. She wanted a
march to which she and her companions could work, which
his biographer says inspired Eric to incorporate sewing
machine patterns in his music. After the programme had been
running for three months without a signature tune, in October
1940 it was adopted by the BBC for "Music While You
Work" and achieved universal popularity. In the first
Guild volume devoted to this music we included this work
in full by an excellent Danish orchestra; on this occasion
it is abridged and, although it is readily available in
its complete original version elsewhere, in tribute to the
composer we have used his own recording from 1940.
This time several contributors to Decca’s MWYW series
– missing from volume 1 – have been included,
notably Reginald Burston with the London Coliseum Orchestra,
Harold Collins, David Java and the man credited with coming
up with the idea in the first place, Wynford Reynolds.
Considering his musical background, it is likely that Wynford
Hubert Reynolds (1899-1958) had little problem in persuading
the BBC that he had the necessary knowledge to launch "Music
While You Work". He was already on the staff of the
BBC as a producer, although he was also an experienced performer.
He was born in Ebbw Vale, Wales, and his early musical training
at the Royal Academy of Music concentrated on the violin,
viola and composition. Like many of his fellow musicians,
he provided music for silent films, and eventually joined
the Queen’s Hall Orchestra under its illustrious conductor
(and founder of London’s Promenade Concerts) Sir Henry
Wood.
Reynolds became involved with the early days of radio in
the 1920s, and it wasn’t long before he formed his
own orchestra for concerts (including engagements at seaside
venues) and broadcasts. In 1941 the BBC gave him the important-sounding
title ‘Music While You Work Organiser’ but, due
to the strict rules imposed by the Corporation on its own
employees, this prevented him from appearing with his orchestra
in the programmes. He left this position in 1944, and went
back to performing on radio, not only in "Music While
You Work" but also, later, in popular shows such as
"Bright and Early" and "Morning Music".
Happily the recordings he made for Decca’s MWYW series
are evidence of the high quality of his music, although
his influence extended far beyond those 78s bearing his
own orchestra’s name: he produced the majority of around
420 discs that were issued before the series ended with
the final releases in January 1947.
The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre)
was built in St. Martin’s Lane by the famous theatre
impresario and architect, Oswald Stoll, and it opened for
its first performance on 24 December 1904. Since then it
has undergone changes of name, various refurbishments and
different kinds of productions, ranging from variety and
operetta to ballet and opera – it is now the home of
English National Opera. Reginald Burston (d. 1968) was an
experienced musical director who was regularly employed
in various London theatres ranging from D’Oyly Carte
Opera to prestigious Noel Coward productions and lavish
post-war American musicals. In the mid-1930s he conducted
the BBC Midland Orchestra, then in 1936 he took over the
baton of the BBC Revue Orchestra for several years.
Like Reginald Burston, Harold Collins (c.1900 - c.1971)
arold Collins, David Java
at one time was MD at the London Coliseum, although he
also held positions at various provincial theatres. Originally
a pianist, it seems he gave his first broadcast from Plymouth
in 1936 where he was resident conductor at the Palace Theatre,
and was hired by the BBC for "Music While You Work"
soon after the programme was launched. In total he appeared
in 227 programmes with his Orchestra, and he also made a
good number of records for Decca’s MWYW series, usually
with a smaller ensemble in a style that suited the light
repertoire that was his speciality – his three tracks
in this collection are ideal examples. In later years he
was heard in BBC shows "Morning Music" and "Melody
On The Move", and through his work with Norman Wisdom
he appeared on ITV’s top Sunday evening shows from
the London Palladium and the Prince of Wales Theatre.
David Java only made one record for Decca’s MWYW series,
and his career is poorly documented. In 1938 he played violin
alongside Sidney Sax on several Victor Silvester recordings
for Parlophone, and again on some Columbia recordings in
1941 when Oscar Grasso, Alfredo Campoli, Reginald Kilbey
and Eugene Pini were among the distinguished violin players
whom Silvester employed. After the war David Java supplied
orchestras for Lyons’ Corner House restaurant and presumably
other similar venues.
Harry Davidson (1892-1967) enjoyed two successful, and
different, careers before and following the Second World
War. After various engagements around London and the north-east
of England spanning the years 1914 to 1929, he finally secured
the highly prestigious appointment as organist at the newly
built Commodore Theatre at Hammersmith in London. The Commodore
had a fine 18-piece orchestra conducted by Joseph Muscant
(1899-1983) and by the early 1930s it had acquired a loyal
national following for its regular broadcasts. After five
years Muscant left to take over the Troxy Broadcasting Orchestra
and, in July 1934, Harry Davidson stepped into his shoes.
(Recordings by both the Commodore and Troxy orchestras may
be found on previous Guild Light Music CDs). Although the
Commodore orchestra was disbanded during the war, Davidson
managed to keep many of his superb musicians together and
soon he was broadcasting regularly, notching up no less
than 109 editions of "Music While You Work". To
correct an error which crept into the notes to the previous
volume in this series, it should be pointed out that Harry
Davidson achieved this impressive total between 1940 and
1946, not during the programme’s first year. In November
1943 his series "Those Were The Days" appeared
for the first time, providing listeners at home with a regular
helping of melodious old-time dance music. It became a permanent
fixture in the schedules with Harry in charge until ill-health
forced him to retire in November 1965. It is also appropriate
to mention that he was an extremely prolific recording artist;
during the 1950s 78s by his orchestra often occupied almost
four pages in EMI Columbia’s annual catalogues.
The other orchestras included on this CD were also featured
in the previous Guild MWYW collection, and they were each
profiled in the booklet notes. On this occasion, they have
had to take a back seat in favour of the ‘new boys’.
Partly through lack of space, 78 record labels sometimes
omitted details of the contents of selections, and even
composers occasionally became anonymous. If you were lucky,
missing information like this might have been gleaned from
contemporary record catalogues, but today it is often left
to admirers of the last century’s popular music to
attempt to supply the names of those elusive song titles.
The following list reveals some of the music to be heard
in this collection.
"The Dancing Years" Lorelei, My Life
Belongs To You, Leap Year Waltz, I Can Give You The Starlight,
Waltz Of My Heart.
"Lehar In The Ballroom" Gold And Silver,
Count Of Luxembourg, Merry Widow Waltz.
"Girl Crazy" But Not For Me, Embraceable
You, Bidin’ My Time.
"One Exciting Night" One Love, There’s
A New World Over The Sky Line, My Prayer, It’s Like
Old Times.
"Lady In The Dark" Girl Of The Moment,
This Is New, Suddenly It’s Spring, Saga Of Jenny, My
Ship.
LIGHT MUSIC CDs – JUNE
FOUR MORE CDs ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE GUILD "GOLDEN
AGE OF LIGHT MUSIC" SERIES
Continental Flavour
1 The Last Time I Saw Paris (Jerome Kern)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
2 Mon Pays (Rossi, arr. Frank Cordell)
FRANK CORDELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
3 Continental Holiday (Douglas Brownsmith)
SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by THEO ARDEN
4 "La Strada" – ‘Road’ theme from
the film (Nino Rota)
EDDIE BARCLAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 Malaguena (Ernesto Lecuona)
ROBIN HOOD DELL ORCHESTRA Conducted by MORTON GOULD
6 French Leave (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard
Trebilco)
STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD
7 Italian Street Song (Victor Herbert)
PETER YORKE AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
8 Red Sombrero (Ronald Binge)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
9 Cachucha (from "In Malaga") (Frederic Curzon)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN
10 Carnival Time (Dolf van der Linden)
METROPOLE ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN
11 Paris Fashions (Haute Couture) (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
12 Malaga (Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13 Portuguese Washerwomen (Les Lavandieres de Portugal)
(Andre Popp, Roger Lucchesi)
BOB SHARPLES AND HIS MUSIC
14 C’Est Si Bon (Ange Eugene Betti, Jerry Seelen, Andre
Hornez – arr. Jo Boyer)
EDDIE BARCLAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
15 Masquerade In Madrid (Katty)
GUY LUYPAERTS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 Latin Quarter (Toots Thielemans)
EMILE DELTOUR AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Spanish Gypsy Dance (Narro Pascual Marquina)
HARRY FRYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18 Gioia Mia (Louis Castellucci)
CHARLES WILLIAMS AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
19 Gay Boulevard (Claude Yvoire)
HARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by CLAUDE YVOIRE
20 Folies Espagnoles (Robert Busby)
METROPOLE ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN
21 Acrobatics (Fred Caphat, arr. Götz Höhne)
ROBERT RENARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA – real name OTTO
DOBRINDT
22 Riviera Rhapsody (Arnold Steck, real name Leslie
Statham)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN featuring
Alexander Glushkoff, piano
23 Fresh Breezes (Borchert)
BARNABAS VON GECZY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
24 Siciliana – Serenata (Schmaltich)
FERDY KAUFFMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
25 Music For The Nostalgic Traveller In France (arr. George
Melachrino)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
 Guild
GLCD 5132
Britons and Americans have always had a fascination for
Continental Europe, whether focussing on musical and artistic
culture or simply a love of the diversity offered by so
many unique countries full of proud traditions and beautiful
scenery. This admiration has resulted in many composers
producing numerous glorious melodies in tribute to lands
far removed from their everyday existence in publishers’
offices in London or New York.
Among the composers and conductors who
could be defined as ‘the genuine article’, due
to their spheres of influence falling within the boundaries
of Continental Europe, it is important to include specific
mention of Eddie Barclay, Roger Roger, Guy Luypaerts, Emile
Deltour, Claude Yvoire, Otto Dobrindt, Barnabas Von Geczy,
Ferdy Kauffmann and the composer/conductor whose light music
output was truly prolific – Dolf van der Linden. There
is no room on this occasion to include a resumé of
their careers, but they each receive special mention in
the CD booklet notes.
The final selection is a glorious arrangement
by George Melachrino of timeless French melodies that immediately
evoke images of sun, wine and good food. In case a few titles
may be less familiar than others, you are likely to recognise
Sur le pont d’Avignon, Madelon, Le Reve Passe, Aupres
de ma Blonde, Il etait une Bergere, Danse Apache, Sous les
Toits de Paris and the famous Can Can. Truly,
a fitting climax to a musical tour of the Continent.
Amor Amor : Music For Romance
1 Cocktails For Two (Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow; arr.
Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
2 Easy To Love (Cole Porter, arr. Ron Goodwin)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
3 Sweet Sue (Will Harris, Victor Young)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 They Can’t Take That Away From Me (George Gershwin,
arr. Johnny Douglas)
JOHNNY DOUGLAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 These Foolish Things (Jack Strachey, Harry Link; arr.
Philip Green)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
6 Starlit Hour (Peter de Rose, arr. Laurie Johnson)
AMBROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA Conducted by LAURIE JOHNSON
7 Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup (Anna Sosenko)
HENRI RENE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
8 The Song Is You (Jerome Kern, arr. Angela Morley)
KINGSWAY PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by STANLEY BLACK
featuring STANLEY BLACK, piano
9 Should I Dream? (George Siravo)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
10 I’ll String Along With You (Al Dubin, Harry Warren)
WERNER MULLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
11 Unforgettable (Irving Gordon, arr. Ray Martin)
RAY MARTIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
12 Lovelight (Robert Harris, arr. Bruce Campbell)
BRUCE CAMPBELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13 Last Night When We Were Young (Harold Arlen)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
14 Come Dance With Me (George Blake, Richard Leibert; arr.
Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
15 My Foolish Heart (Victor Young)
ROBERTO INGLEZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 She’s My Lovely (Vivian Ellis, arr. Philip Green)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Amor Amor (Ruiz, arr. Frank Cordell)
FRANK CORDELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18 Bread, Love and Dreams (Nisa, Cini)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
19 I Love The Moon (Paul A. Rubens)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
20 The Long Hours (W.H. Hester, Sol Parker)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
21 Touch Of Your Hand (Jerome Kern)
GORDON JENKINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
22 Land Of Dreams (Norman Gimbel, Eddie Heywood)
HUGO WINTERHALTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring EDDIE HEYWOOD,
piano
23 Vision Of Delia (Henry Croudson)
THE MELACHRINO STRINGS Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
24 You Were There; Dearest Love (Noel Coward, arr Roland
Shaw)
FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
 Guild
GLCD 5133
Romance has always been in fashion, but its expression
in musical terms has certainly gone through many changes.
Once upon a time a young swain would probably have serenaded
his lady fair to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument
of doubtful competence, but by the 1950s it was lush string
orchestras that were the order of the day. The arrival of
the long playing record at the end of the 1940s provided
the ideal medium for programmes of soothing pleasant melodies
that could be enjoyed as an accompaniment to dining and
virtually any form of relaxation. If the record companies
conceived many of these collections purely as background
listening they were doing the talented musicians a great
disfavour. In any event romantic music was on offer in the
form of 78 rpm records long before LPs arrived. Certainly
this collection will serve as an enjoyable scene setter,
but it is hoped that listeners will recognise and appreciate
the professional standards of the arrangers who often worked
minor miracles with their transformation of simple melodies
into such pleasing cameos. Again there is no room for individual
pen portraits – you will have to buy the CD!
Four Decades of Light Music - Volume 1 1920s &
1930s
The 1920s
1 Northwards (from "Four Ways" Suite) (Eric
Coates)
REGAL CINEMA ORCHESTRA Conducted by EMANUEL STARKEY
2 Flapperette (Jesse Greer)
NAT SHILKRET AND HIS ORCHESTRA
3 Estudiantina – Waltz (Émile Waldteufel)
LONDON PALLADIUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by HORACE SHELDON
4 Pearl O’ Mine – Lyrical Melody (Percy Fletcher)
PLAZA THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by FRANK TOURS
5 Laughing Marionette (Walter Collins)
DEBROY SOMERS BAND
6 Martial Moments
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by ALFRED DOVE
7 In A Clock Store (Charles Orth)
NEW LIGHT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
8 The Selfish Giant (Eric Coates)
JULIAN FUHS’ SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
9 Lustspiel – Overture (Adabert von Keler-Béla,
arr. Adolf Lotter)
ATHENAEUM LIGHT ORCHESTRA
The 1930s
10 Frog King’s Parade (Heini Kronberger, Mary Marriott)
WEST END CELEBRITY ORCHESTRA
11 Lullaby Of The Leaves (Bernice Petkere)
REGINALD KING’S ORCHESTRA
12 Parade Of The Tin Soldiers (Leon Jessel)
NEW LIGHT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
13 Blues (from "Dance Suite") (Eduard Künneke)
BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by EDUARD KÜNNEKE
14 In A Merry Mood (Fritz Haringer)
BARNABAS VON GECZY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
15 Dancing Clock (Montague Ewing)
ORCHESTRE RAYMONDE
16 "Sunny Side Up" – film selection (Bud
De Sylva, Lew Brown, Ray Henderson)
SCALA SALON ORCHESTRA
17 Raindrops – Pizzicati for Strings (T. de la Riviera)
BOURNEMOUTH MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA Conducted by Sir DAN GODFREY
18 Teddy Bears’ Picnic (John W. Bratton)
COMMODORE GRAND ORCHESTRA Conducted by JOSEPH MUSCANT
19 Monckton Melodies (Lionel Monckton)
BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON
 Guild
GLCD 5134
Music has been called the international language,
and in its many guises it is probably as diverse as all
the spoken tongues around the world. Individual styles constantly
develop and change in response to various influences, and
there is no doubt that our ancestors who listened to what
we might term ‘their’ light music in the 1800s
would find the sounds of the 1950s too avant-garde for their
ears. Light music is not alone in this; some of today’s
best loved classical works were harshly criticised at their
premieres. In this, and the companion volume (GLCD 5135),
an attempt is being made to illustrate the many varied forms
and ensembles that fall within the scope of what many people
generally regard as ‘Light Music’ (sometimes called
Concert Music or Easy Listening) during four decades of
the 20th century. This was touched upon in the
first CD in this Guild series (GLCD 5101) and it is now
possible to look in greater depth at the way in which Light
Music has developed. From the somewhat sedate styles of
earlier years, we progress through the influences of the
jazz era until we finally arrive in the 1950s, when the
advent of hi-fi often allowed composers, arrangers and conductors
to express themselves in a spectacular fashion.
It took thirty years before sound recordings
were made using microphones. Until then performers had to
position themselves as close as possible to the giant horn
that recorded them acoustically, and some instruments such
as violins (known as "Stroh fiddles") even had
small horns attached to them to amplify their sound. The
results would have seemed amazing to record buyers at the
time, and the technology managed to cope fairly well with
solo performers accompanied by a piano. Sadly orchestras
did not sound very good, which is why the temptation to
include some very early recorded light music has been resisted
as far as this collection is concerned. Our researches have
therefore concentrated on the period from 1925 onwards,
and the opening track from the end of the decade illustrates
how quickly the sound engineers at the time were mastering
the new techniques at their disposal.
In the 1920s Eric Coates absorbed the syncopation
that was influencing popular music, and he turned his attention
to nursery subjects which were sometimes called ‘tone
poems’ but which he preferred to label ‘Phantasies’.
The Selfish Giant was the first in 1924, and early
in 1926 he conducted the augmented Jack Hylton Orchestra
on an HMV 78. This was a different version from the usual
orchestral score and, although interesting, the sound quality
is rather disappointing. Rather better is the rare recording
by Julian Fuhs’ Symphony Orchestra selected for this
CD (although this was certainly not a full size symphony
orchestra!). It was recorded in Berlin on 29 February 1928,
and seems to have been released in Britain a year later
by Parlophone (it appears that it was unissued in Germany).
Julian Fuhs (1891-1975) was a German jazz pianist and conductor
who, as a young man, emigrated to the USA and became an
American citizen, but returned to his native Berlin in 1924.
In 1926 the legendary trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke recorded
with Fuhs’ band, and the following year he conducted
the first German recording of Gershwin’s Rhapsody
In Blue with Mischa Spoliansky on piano. Due to the
political situation in his original homeland, Fuhs returned
to the USA in 1936 but failed to repeat his earlier success
as a musician.
Guild Light Music’s first 1930’s
collection (GLCD 5106) included the Overture to the Tänzerische
Suite (Dance Suite) by Eduard Künneke (1885-1953).
This prompted several requests for more from this work,
and the movement entitled Blues does sound good as
a stand-alone piece. During 1925/26 Künneke visited
America where he developed an interest in jazz styles through
meeting Paul Whiteman, who did so much to popularise the
works of the young George Gershwin. The influences are certainly
apparent in his Dance Suite although Künneke
was regarded more as a composer of operettas (a musical
form that has virtually vanished today) with his works being
performed in London – one such example was "Love’s
Awakening" in 1922 at the Empire Theatre.
The choice of 1930s recordings attempts
to illustrate the many varied styles of that troubled period
in world history. The 1929 Wall Street stock market crash
and the economic depression that followed created misery
and hardship for millions, and as the decade progressed
the world stumbled towards a second war which finally erupted
in 1939. The record industry (and indeed the entertainment
profession in general) saw its role as the provider of much-needed
relief from the troubles of everyday life, and therefore
much of the popular music expressed a cheery optimism which
eventually proved to be tragically misplaced.
Four Decades of Light Music - Volume 2 1940s &
1950s
The 1940s
1 March For Americans (Ferdé Grofé)
MEREDITH WILLSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
2 Stringopation (David Rose)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
3 Over To You (Eric Coates)
ROYAL AIR FORCE CENTRAL ORCHESTRA Conducted by W/Comd. R.P.
O’DONNELL
4 The Old Clockmaker (Charles Williams)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
5 Fascination (F.D. Marchetti)
ALBERT SANDLER AND HIS PALM COURT ORCHESTRA
6 World Of Tomorrow (Jack Beaver)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
7 Turkish Patrol (Michaelis)
LEW STONE AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
8 If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You (from "Revenge
With Music") (Arthur Schwartz)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
9 Song Of Loyalty (Eric Coates)
ROYAL AIR FORCE CENTRAL ORCHESTRA Conducted by W/Comd. R.P.
O’DONNELL
10 Down With The Curtain (Charles Shadwell)
CHARLES SHADWELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
The 1950s
11 Bali Ha’i (from "South Pacific") (Rodgers,
Hammerstein arr. Carl Stevens)
DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA (Harp solo by PETER EAGLE)
12 Traffic Boom (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
13 Song Of India (Rimsky-Korsakov, arr. Laurie Johnson)
LAURIE JOHNSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
14 Surprise (Richard Shores)
RICHARD SHORES AND HIS ORCHESTRA
15 Spellbound – theme from the film (Miklos Rozsa,
arr. Wally Stott)
WALLY STOTT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 Forty Second Street (Harry Warren)
WERNER MÜLLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Purple Wine (Alan Green)
ALFREDO ANTONINI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18 Look Sharp Be Sharp (Marlon Merrick)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
19 The Velvet Glove (Harold Spina)
GERALDO AND HIS NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA
20 The Piccolino (Irving Berlin)
KINGSWAY PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by STANLEY BLACK
21 Louisiana Hay Ride (Arthur Schwartz, arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
22 A Garden In The Rain (James Dyrenforth, Carroll Gibbons)
RAY MARTIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
23 What’s The Rush (Lou Snider)
CHARLES DORIAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
24 Forgotten Dreams (Leroy Anderson)
LEROY ANDERSON AND HIS "POPS" CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Brunswick 45-O 5485 1955
25 Tokay (Noel Coward, arr. Roland Shaw)
FRANK CHACKSFIELD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
26 "Front Page Story" – Theme from the film
(Michael Carr)
THE MELACHRINO STRINGS Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
27 Sport And Music (Lothar Brühne)
LOUIS VOSS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
 Guild
GLCD 5135
The first volume in this survey of "Four
Decades of Light Music" (1920s and 1930s – Guild
GLCD 5134) witnessed a gradual transformation from the sedate
styles prevalent at the dawn of sound recording, to the
full influence of the jazz era as it permeated many forms
of music with composers such as Eric Coates warmly embracing
it in their creations. The changing styles are even more
apparent in this volume, where there is evidence that the
1940s still produced performances reminiscent of a more
genteel era before the composers, arrangers and conductors
of the 1950s began more fully to exploit the exciting opportunities
offered by high fidelity sound.
Light music during World War 2 tried to
provide a measure of reassurance during a terrible period
by retaining many of the characteristics of previous, more
peaceful times, yet it was not possible to eliminate the
influences for change. Radio was the main source of entertainment
in the home, and record sales were still struggling to reach
the figures seen in the late 1920s before the great depression
dealt such a knockout blow to the economies of the developed
world. It was hardly surprising that record companies would
‘play safe’ by concentrating on 78s of music that
would be familiar through the radio and films, and many
regular broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic were
placed under contract by the leading labels.
The high fidelity sound that burst upon
the 1950s is vividly illustrated with Bail Ha’i.
David Carroll (b. 1913) was musical director of Mercury
Records from 1951 to the early 1960s, during which time
he accompanied many of the label’s contract singers
as well as making some instrumental recordings of his own.
Several of his LPs had a ‘dance’ theme, often
including his own compositions, and he employed the cream
of Chicago’s session musicians. Some people regard
him as one of the pioneers of exploiting stereo sound to
enhance his orchestral scores, and this 1956 recording gives
an idea of what he would achieve a few years later.
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CLASSIC
FARNON SOUNDTRACKS NOW ON CD